Boeing is now under CRIMINAL investigation over plane blowout at 16,000 feet that caused dramatic landing and sparked massive probe into airline safety

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 flight which suffered a near catastrophic blow out at 16,000ft. 

A door plug blew off midflight on January 5 with 171 passengers and crew onboard, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon. 

Investigators have now contacted some passengers informing them they may be the victim of a crime, and interviewed pilots and flight attendants, according to documents seen by The Wall Street Journal. 

The investigation may not result in formal charges of wrongdoing, but it will inform a Justice Department review of whether Boeing has met the requirements of the settlements reached after the two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019. 

If they have not met the terms of the settlement, then Boeing could be prosecuted on a count of defrauding the US. 

The latest development into the investigation of Boeing adds to the company's woes that include a civil investigation in addition to other recent high-profile incidents involving its jets.  

Six Alaska Airlines passengers have sued Boeing after their horror flight where a door plug blew out at 16,000ft, forcing a dramatic emergency landing in Oregon

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun  speaks with reports at the Capitol in January after MAX 9 planes were grounded

Alaska Airlines told The Journal: 'In an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation. We are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation.'

The new criminal investigation follows civil probes from the the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA which found 'multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.'

The criminal investigation will examine whether Boeing has met the conditions of the 2021 settlement reached after the fatal 2018 and 2019 crashes that killed 346 people.

The first occurred when a Max 8 operated by Indonesia's Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea in October 2018.

The second was when an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 crashed nearly straight down into a field six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa in March 2019.

Boeing reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the FBI and the Transportation Department in the wake of the crashes, admitting that two former employees had misled the FAA over how much training a new flight control system would require. 

If the Justice Department finds that Boeing has violated the terms of that settlement, they could face prosecution on the original count of defrauding the US.  

Boeing declined to comment on the criminal investigation. DailyMail.com contacted Alaska Airlines for comment. 

Boeing is also facing a civil lawsuit from a group of passengers onboard the flight. 

In January, an Alaska Airlines flight suffered a near-catastrophe as a plane door blew out at 16,000ft over Portland 

There were no serious injuries from the terrifying air failure, but passenger's belongings including phones flew out of the aircraft

Earlier this week, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board accused Boeing of failing to provide some key records sought in its ongoing investigation into the mid-air cabin door emergency.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said investigators have sought the names of the 25 people who work on door plugs at a Boeing facility in Renton, Washington, but have not received them from Boeing. 

'It is absurd that two months later we don't have it,' Homendy said at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Boeing insisted that it had initially provided the NTSB with some of the names of Boeing employees, including door specialists it believed would have relevant information.

Senator Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, called it 'utterly unacceptable' that the NTSB was not receiving full cooperation from Boeing.

Homendy also confirmed that the MAX 9 door plug had moved during prior flights, citing markings on the door. 

An Alaska Airlines flight arrived in Portland with the door to its cargo space where passengers' pets were inside left slightly ajar

The door plug incident has been followed by a string of bad press for Boeing, which has made headlines in recent weeks for issues with planes - including an engine exploding on a flight out of Texas and a wheel falling off on take-off at San Francisco. 

Last month, another Alaska Airlines plane landed safely in Portland with its cargo door open.

Alaska Airlines Flight 1437 from Los Cabos, Mexico, arrived at Portland International Airport and photos show the open door. 

It's unclear how long the door was open for, but the flight did not require an emergency landing.

There was no indication that the door was open during the flight, according to crew members, which points to the door opening after landing.

'Upon landing at PDX on March 1, Alaska Airlines flight 1437 was discovered to have the forward cargo door unsealed,' Alaska airlines said in a statement. 

'There was no indication to the crew that the door was unsealed during flight and all indications point to the door partially opening after landing.

'Our maintenance teams inspected the aircraft, replaced a spring in the door, tested the door and reentered it into service.'